WesWorld

Quoted

Quoted

Originally posted by HoOmAn
What d o you consider a reasonable portion of trainers? Your seem to indicate numbers that tally up to about a third of frontline A/C. So to operate 1000 fronline planes at any time, you need about 300 trainers to supply trained crews in adequate numbers to replace "losses" due to retirement, new careers, injuries or death. That refers to peace time of course. Am I right?

I think that will depend quite a bit on the training regime the air force uses, but that's pretty close to what I've determined the larger air forces did. At the risk of being verbose, let me outline the rough sketch of my general presumptions regarding training. I actually use these presumptions for all the countries I play.

Presumptions:
1. Each commissioned pilot agrees to serve 4 years following training. (Many will stay longer, but this is the basic term of service.) Thus I presume 25% pilot turnover every year.
2. The four-year term of service starts upon the pilot being commissioned.
3. Incoming pilots may or may not have flying experience from civilian life. Based on this factor, new pilot recruits may be accelerated to different stages of the training program provided their civilian experience meets AF standards.
4. Due to the relatively low quantities of civilian aircraft in Bulgaria, the air force presumes new inductees have no more than 0-20 hours flying experience.
5. There is a peacetime pilot attrition rate of 7% per year. This covers everything that may remove a pilot from duty: flying accidents, being grounded for health or medical reasons, relieved of duty for disciplinary action, promotion to a desk job, etc.
6. The training needs to be sufficient to protect the investment in the training. In other words, training for a fighter pilot needs to be enough that the fighter pilot has an acceptable chance of surviving initial combat; a fighter pilot without enough training in vital skills who is lost on his first mission represents a net loss for the training the air force invests in him. Ergo, it is presumed better to expend more money and materiel to over-train a combat pilot than to under-train him and lose the investment.
7. Caveat to point six. The training investment needs to be appropriate to the level of return the pilot is likely to provide. If the pilot does not intend to stay in the service longer than four years, then his training course should reflect that lack of commitment (while still making him an effective asset during his term).
8. Pilots in training are presumed to receive the opportunity for approximately 10 flying hours per week of instruction, based on the availability of instructors, in five two-hour sessions.
9. Full time instructors are assumed to offer no more than 20 flying hours per week, with two two-hour flight sessions each afternoon.

I further presume the following levels of training.
1. Ab-initio. This level of training introduces new pilots to the basic mechanics of flight and cultivates the trainee's feeling for flying. Ab-initio consists of both classroom instruction in groups (presumed 20 hours), instruction in basic aircraft operation and maintenance (10 hours), and hands-on flying experience with an instructor in a basic training aircraft (20 hours). As the trainee is expected to cultivate a "feel" for flying rather than merely copying rote instructions, Bulgaria heavily uses training gliders in this stage. (Gliders are also cheaper to write off if the trainee blows it.) 90% of trainees are presumed to pass ab-initio. Trainees are only washed out of this stage if they cannot physiologically handle flying. The instructors make an initial recommendation on the pilot candidate's suitability for further training, and what nature that training should take.
2. Basic training. This stage graduates the pilot more to regular powered flight using simple powered training. Ab-initio and basic training are conducted in sequence at the same training school. The trainee receives further classroom instruction including navigation (80 hours), instruction in more advanced aircraft operation and maintenance (20 hours), and flying experience both with an instructor (30 hours) and solo (30 hours) in both gliders and powered aircraft. Trainees may acquire more flight time as aircraft and instructor availability permit. Instructors provide a second recommendation for further pilot training. 75% of trainees are presumed to pass basic training. Washouts - trainees with poor piloting skills - may be offered remedial training, or options for other flight-related careers (such as radio operators, bombardiers, navigators, etc). Others may be offered options in supply, maintenance, and service units.
3. Intermediate training. This level of training provides more experience for the skills learned in basic training, and provides a final stage for determining the trainee's level of competence for further flight training. Intermediate flight training provides flight time in two stages. The first stage provides time with an instructor (10 hours) and solo (30 hours) in order to ensure that the lessons of basic training are retained and encouraged. The second stage of intermediate flight training includes instruction in radio use, intermediate navigation, formation flying, and blind/instrument flying (50 hours total). Intermediate training also includes basic introduction to multi-engine aircraft, By the end of this stage, trainees should have no less than 170 hours of flying time. 75% of trainees are presumed to pass intermediate training, with washouts offered assignments similarly to basic training washouts. Instructors provide a third and final recommendation regarding the trainee's suitability for fighter, attack, general or multi-engined specialized training. The air force uses the three instructor recommendations to determine the trainee's career track and the nature of their career.
4. Advanced training. Trainees are divided into groups for advanced training based on the requirements of the service and the instructor recommendations from previous stages. The shortest advanced course (20 hours) is for army cooperation pilots, who receive flight instruction in tactical low-level bombing and evasive flying. Attack aircraft pilots receive similar training but add flight training with advanced, single-engine retractable gear monoplanes for a total of 60 hours. Multi-engine pilot trainees attend their own course (40 hours). Fighter pilots receive flight training in modern monoplanes (30 hours) then attend a finishing school to learn air-to-air combat (100 hours classroom instruction, 60 hours flight time, including 5 hours with instructors). 90% of trainees are presumed to pass advanced training (as the unsuitable pilots were weeded out in previous stages). By the end of advanced training, a prospective fighter pilot should have received a total of 230 hours of flight time plus 250 hours of ground instruction; an attack aircraft pilot should have 230 hours of flight time plus 160 hours of ground instruction; a multiengine pilot should have 210 hours of flight time plus 160 hours of ground instruction; and a liaison/army cooperation pilot should have 190 hours of flight time plus 150 hours of ground instruction. Following this stage of training, the pilot is formally commissioned and brought into a serving military unit.
5. Instruction and Air Combat School. This is an course which is extended primarily to fighter pilots who have already served significant time (up to two or three years) in an operational squadron, and who are being considered for promotion to flight element leaders. Element leaders in a standard fighter yato (squadron) are responsible to the squadron commander for maintaining a level of instruction in their junior officers, and individuals taking this course are evaluated for their ability to pass on instruction and provide critical leadership for a flight element. This training requires the recommendation or approval of a senior officer for application. Trainees in this school are not washed out except in extremely rare circumstances (usually disciplinary); instructors instead rate them on their suitability for promotion to element leader. More senior officers being considered for promotion to squadron leaders take elements of this course as a refresher before they are eligible for promotion. Trainees selected are generally asked to extend their commitments before attending the school.

Alternate career paths:
1. A trainee inducted into the air force with existing civilian flight training may request a review by an instructor to go straight to basic or intermediate training. Some pilots with exceptional civil flight hours may take a shortened intermediate training course before being graduated straight to advanced training.
2. Pilots receiving army cooperation or liaison advanced training may, with the recommendation of their commanding officer, apply for advanced training in attack aircraft or fighter aircraft. These requests are handled on a case by case basis, and if the request is accepted, the trainee returns to the relevant advanced training program.
3. Artillery spotters and army intelligence officers are sent through sections of the flight program to familiarize themselves with aerial operations from the air force's view. These officers take special training with approximately 30 hours of flight time and 10 hours of instruction.

So, with all that in mind, and the presumed washout rates... the Bulgarian Air Force needs to induct 100 new recruits for every 45 trained pilots they receive. I can bore you with the math, but in short form, Bulgaria needs to commission every year 123 fighter pilots, 47 single-engine bomber pilots, 18 multiengine bomber pilots, 16 general multiengine pilots, and 111 pilots for army coop and all other single-engine roles. Additionally, I need to induct 34 navigators and 68 gunners and radio-operators per year. That's 315 pilots and 102 other occupations. I presume that the washouts of earlier training levels can provide personnel for those other occupations.

All this means that, in order to maintain the standing force levels, I need to induct seven hundred new recruits every year into ab-initio training in order to turn them into 315 pilots at the end of advanced training. 630 will pass ab-initio training; 473 will pass basic training; and 355 will pass intermediate training. The greatest amount of work therefore falls on the ab-initio trainers, who have to winnow out the first of those seven hundred trainees. Ab-initio training covers fifty hours, twenty of it flight time; thus we shall presume one ab-initio course per month, with an average of 59 trainees inducted and 53 graduated. Ab-initio and basic training (as per the above) is conducted in the same sequence, so ab-initio and basic training occurs over a three month period (let's actually make it twelve weeks: two for ab-initio and ten for basic training). Thus, three training groups, with a strength of at least 30 instructors each, must operate in order to process the trainees. (3 training schools : 3 month training cycles : 59 trainees / school cycle = 12 cycles per year : ~708 trainees per year. 30 instructors / school = 90 instructors.)

With each three-month training course (ab-initio plus basic training) at three training centers, each course requires a certain number of aircraft and gliders. I use this to calculate quantities of aircraft necessary for each training program. In ab initio training (first two weeks), each trainee receives approximated ten hours of glider flight time and ten hours of powered flight time. Let's say that they get five hours of glider time and five hours of powered time per week.

In basic training, each trainee receives ten hours of glider time and fifty hours of powered time spread over ten weeks. To keep things simple, we'll presume each trainee gets six hours a week (five powered flight hours and one hour in gliders).

Working on the basis of the 59 ab-initio trainees and 53 basic trainees, we therefore have a total of:

- Week 1-2 (Ab initio, 59 trainees): 295 glider hours, 295 powered hours
- Week 3-12 (Basic, 53 trainees): 53 glider hours, 265 powered hours

To turn these numbers into aircraft quantities, I consider several things, the biggest of which is the availability of the aircraft. I lack hard data on this figure, so I'm going to make some leaps of logic to say that a glider is available for fifteen hours a week, while my standard basic trainers (the Fw-44, the DAR-3, and the KB-5 biplanes) are available for ten hours a week. (Please note that I do not calculate tow-planes into the glider numbers: Bulgaria's training bases all have a ground-launch system). So, for weeks one and two, I need twenty gliders (295 hours / 15 hours a week) and thirty powered aircraft (295 hours / 10 hours a week) to meet the needs of the ab-initio program. While I generally figure in 150% for spares, reserves, etc, I'm only going to inflate the numbers so that each ab-initio+basic training school has twenty-four gliders and thirty-six basic training biplanes. This gives me the capacity to write off a few planes in accidents if necessary without harming the overall training program. It also gives the air force the ability to spread flight time over a greater number of airframes, reducing aircraft stress and lengthening aircraft life. We also have the ability to take slightly larger classes than the 59 students presumed - say observers from the army, a good recruitment year, etc. Finally, it gives trainees the option, particularly in the later weeks of training, of earning extra flight time on the spare aircraft.

So let me recap: I have three flight schools running one class per quarter each, with 59 pilot trainees entering ab-initio and 39 pilot trainees graduating from basic training. Each flight school requires approximately thirty full-time instructors, twenty-four gliders, and thirty-six primary trainers. Added all up, this means Bulgaria needs a grand total of seventy-two gliders and a hundred and eight primary trainers.

And now intermediate training. We shall again presume a twelve-week course for intermediate training. Bulgaria has two schools which provide intermediate training (Bezmer and Graf Ignatievo), so we'll turn the three ab-initio+basic classes of 39 - total group of 117 - into two groups of 59 again (rounding up, naturally). Per the above, trainees receive this in two stages. In stage one, the first four weeks, trainees receive approximately ten hours of flight time per week (one quarter of that time with instructors). With 59 trainees inducted into intermediate, we therefore have 590 flight hours per week per group of trainees for weeks 1-4. Stage two includes navigation, instrument flying, night flying, and formation flying for a total of fifty flight hours spread over eight weeks - 6.25 hours per week. Therefore we have 369 flight hours per week per group of trainees for weeks 5-12. To keep the margin idealized in Basic Training, we'll procure a total of 72 planes rather than the bare-minimum 59 planes required.

So with two intermediate schools, Bulgaria needs (72 x 2) = 144 aircraft for intermediate training.

Now to advanced training. I'll have to break this up into the relevant segments: fighter, attack, multiengine, and army cooperation.

The latter is easiest, as they require twenty hours of flight time in the same sort of planes they've been flying through basic and intermediate training, but they're also introduced to the Fieseler Storch and the Kaproni-Balgarski KB-11 Fazan, both parasol-winged monoplanes. The Storchs are generally used for this training as I have extras. Additionally, pilots may acquire time on the Bf-108 liaison types. Unlike the previous two training programs, army cooperation/utility advanced training takes place over just two weeks, with four classes per year. As Bulgaria needs to induct 111 army cooperation/utility pilots per year, we'll presume 28 pilots per course, for a total of 280 flight hours per week. This training can be covered completely by my spare Fieseler Storchs (I have forty of them).

Attack aircraft pilots go through a six-week advanced course where they fly a total of sixty hours - forty of that in Miles Masters. Let's again presume four classes a year. To get 47 attack pilots per year (my number from above), I can divide that into four classes of twelve.

Fighter pilot trainees compete for the Miles Masters, so we need to look at them at the same time. As I need to induct 123 fighter pilots per year, and we continue to presume four training classes per year, then I need 31 pilots per class. Their time on the Miles Masters is covered in four weeks at a total of ten hours a week. If I run these classes out of sequence with each other, my thirty-six Miles Masters can just barely cover the various classes. Let's presume thirty-six advanced trainers, which is coincidentally what I have.

Multiengine training is a bit more tricky, with a total of forty hours flight time total. As I have to use my multi-engine trainers for training radio-operators/gunners and navigators as well, I'll presume the pilots only have them for five hours a week over an eight-week course. Bulgaria needs to bring in thirty multiengine pilots per year (18 multiengine bomber pilots and 16 general multiengine pilots); we'll presume four classes of eight trainees per year. My twelve Fw58 multiengine trainers can still handle this so long as the radio-operator/gunner and navigator training doesn't overwhelm them on that count.

So, for advanced training, Bulgaria needs 36 advanced trainers, 12 multiengine trainers, and 28 general aircraft trainers.

…

So let me sum up the training requirements.
- Ab-initio+Basic training requires seventy-two gliders and a hundred and eight primary trainers.
- Intermediate training requires a hundred and forty-four intermediate trainers.
- Advanced training requires thirty-one advanced trainers, twelve multiengine trainers, and twenty-eight general trainers.

Thus I need 72 gliders, 252 primary/intermediate trainers, 36 advanced trainers, 12 multiengine trainers (at least), and 28 general trainers for a total of 400 planes.

In my breakdown of aircraft types, you can compare this to my procurement: 72x DAR-13 Kanarche gliders, 144x DAR-3 Garvan-III biplanes (basic/intermediate), 36x Fw-44s (basic/intermediate), 40x of my 168x Fieseler Storchs, 36x Miles Masters, and 12x Fw58s. As you can see, I'm short on basic/intermediate trainers, and the KB-5 Tchutchuliga-IIIs from the zeroed-out 4th Army Cooperation Orlyak will be able to make up that shortfall.

I need to specifically note that my figures would need to be substantially higher if I had more aircraft with larger aircrews, and the need to train them at the same time - for instance, if I had multi-engine bombers like France's or Germany's. My low quantity of medium bombers and non-existent quantities of heavy bombers lets me get away with this.

Quoted

[SIZE=3]Chilean Air Force:[/SIZE]

Currently, the Chilean Air Force fields:
- 288 fighter aircraft, including 36 twin engine
- 72 single-engine attack aircraft
- 54 twin-engine bomber aircraft
- 30 twin-engine reconnaissance aircraft
- 110 twin-engine transport aircraft
- 159 single-engine liaison/spotting aircraft
Total: 713 aircraft

The FACh uses a five-year enlistment period, and requires 194 pilots to be commissioned each year as pilots. Average graduation rates suggest 430 pilot candidates must be recruited per year:
- 430 cadets enter ab-initio training. 90% (387 cadets) pass.
- 387 cadets enter basic training. 57% (221 cadets) pass.
- 221 cadets enter advanced training. 90% (198 cadets) pass.

Ab-Initio
The ab-initio course takes four weeks, with trainees receiving five hours of flight time per week. Ab-initio courses run twelves times per year, with an average of 36 cadets per class. 180 flight hours per week are required.

Basic Training
The basic training course runs twice a year for twenty-four weeks, with 10 hours of flight time per week. Three bases conduct training, for a total of six classes per year, with an average of 65 students per class 650 flight hours per week (per location) are required.

Advanced Training - Fighter and Attack
The advanced fighter and attack training course runs twice a year for twelve weeks, with 12 hours of flight time per week. One base conducts training, with an average of 49 students per class. 588 flight hours per week are required.

Advanced Training - Bomber and Recon
The advanced bomber and reconnaissance pilot training course runs twice a year for twelve weeks, with 12 hours of flight time per week. One base conducts training, with an average of 12 students per class. 144 flight hours per week are required.

Advanced Training - Transport
The transport pilot training course runs twice a year for eight weeks, with 12 hours of flight time per week. One base conducts training, with an average of 15 students per class. 180 flight hours per week are required.

Advanced Training - Liaison and Spotting
The liaison and army cooperation pilot training course runs twice a year for four weeks, with 8 hours of flight time per week. One base conducts training, with an average of 22 students per class. 176 flight hours per week are required.

Upon graduation, a pilot has received:
- Fighter or attack pilot: 404 hours total (20 ab-initio, 240 basic, 144 advanced)
- Bomber or reconnaissance (twin engine) pilot: 404 hours total (20 ab-initio, 240 basic, 144 advanced)
- Transport (twin engine) pilot: 356 hours total (20 ab-initio, 240 basic, 96 advanced)
- Liasion and Spotting pilot: 308 hours total (20 ab-initio, 240 basic, 48 advanced)

Training Aircraft Requirements:
- Ab-initio, one location: 180 flight hours per week; approximately 18 aircraft
- Basic, three locations: 650 flight hours per week, approximately 65 aircraft
- Advanced, fighter/attack, one location: 588 flight hours per week, approximately 59 aircraft
- Advanced, bomber/recce, one location: 144 flight hours per week, approximately 15 aircraft
- Advanced, transport, one location: 180 flight hours per week, approximately 18 aircraft
- Advanced, liaison-spotting, one location: 176 fight hours per week, approximately 18 aircraft

Quoted

[SIZE=3]Chilean Navy:[/SIZE]

Currently, the Chilean Naval Air Arm fields:
- 136 fighter aircraft (carrier based)
- 116 single-engine attack aircraft (carrier based)
- 30 seaplane reconnaissance aircraft (ship based)
- 64 land-based reconnaissance aircraft (including 40 flying boats)
- 16 twin-engine transport aircraft
- 20 helicopters (carrier based)
- 4 liaison aircraft
Total: 386 aircraft

The ADC, like the FACh, uses a five-year enlistment period. However, the Armada factors in a significantly higher percentage for pilot loss, and requires 116 pilots to be commissioned each year as pilots. Average graduation rates suggest 258 pilot candidates must be recruited per year.

Ab-Initio
The ab-initio course takes four weeks, with trainees receiving five hours of flight time per week. Ab-initio courses run twelves times per year, with an average of 21.5 cadets per class. 108 flight hours per week are required.

Basic Training
The basic training course runs twice a year for twenty-four weeks, with trainees receiving 10 hours of flight time per week. Two bases conduct training, for a total of four classes per year, with an average of 58 students per class 580 flight hours per week (per location) are required.

Advanced Introductory Training - Carrier Ops
The Carrier Operations training course runs four times a year for four weeks, with trainees receiving five hours of flight time per week, aboard the carrier Chiloe. This evaluates the cadet's suitability for training in carrier versus land-based skills. Classes average 34 pilots. 170 flight hours per week are required. (The most suitable pilots are picked for carrier based aircraft - fighter and bomber.)

Advanced Training I - Fighter and Attack Intro
The advanced fighter and attack training course runs twice a year for six weeks, with trainees receiving 12 hours of flight time per week. One base conducts training, with an average of 35 students per class. 420 flight hours per week are required.

Advanced Training I - Seaplane Intro
The advanced seaplane training course runs twice a year for six weeks, with trainees receiving 12 hours of flight time per week. One base conducts training, with an average of 10 students per class. 120 flight hours per week are required.

Advanced Training I - Multiengine
The advanced naval multiengine training course runs once a year for six weeks, with trainees receiving 12 hours of flight time per week. One base conducts training, with an average of 16 students per class. 192 flight hours per week are required.

Advanced Training II - Fighter
Advanced II fighter training runs twice a year for eight weeks, with trainees receiving 12 hours of flight time per week. One base conducts training, with an average 20 students per class. 240 fight hours per week are required.

Advanced Training II - Bomber
Advanced II bomber training runs twice a year for eight weeks, with trainees receiving 12 hours of flight time per week. One base conducts training, with an average 12 students per class. 144 fight hours per week are required.

Upon graduation, a pilot has received:
- Carrier pilot (fighter or bomber): 448 hours total (20 ab-initio, 240 basic, 20 carrier basic, 72 advanced I, 96 advanced II)
- Seaplane pilot: 352 hours total (20 ab-initio, 240 basic, 20 carrier basic, 72 advanced I)
- Multi-engine pilot: 352 hours total (20 ab-initio, 240 basic, 20 carrier basic, 72 advanced I)

Training Aircraft Requirements:
- Ab-initio, one location: 108flight hours per week; approximately 11 aircraft
- Basic, two locations: 580 flight hours per week, approximately 58 aircraft
- Advanced I, fighter/attack, one location: 420 flight hours per week, approximately 42 aircraft
- Advanced I, seaplanes, one location: 120 flight hours per week, approximately 12 aircraft
- Advanced I, multiengine, one location: 192 flight hours per week, approximately 20 aircraft
- Advanced II, fighter, one location: 176 flight hours per week, approximately 18 aircraft
- Advanced II, bomber, one location: 144 flight hours per week, approximately 15 aircraft